A campaign seeking to recall Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky will appear on Santa Clara County’s June ballot — becoming the state’s first judicial recall measure in 86 years. Persky sentenced former Stanford student Brock Turner to a six-month jail sentence in 2016 for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, a sentence many viewed as too light. On Tuesday, Persky spoke out about the recall, asserting it would have negative implications on how judges make their decisions. We speak with experts on both sides of the issue about the recall and the effects this campaign may have on the judicial process.
Guests:
Michele Landis Dauber, professor of law and sociologist, Stanford University; chair, Recall Judge Aaron Persky
Ellen Kreitzberg, professor of law, Santa Clara University School of Law
Background:
Reevaluating How California Elects Judges (Forum Archives)